Steam Column Funding Ends - 16th Apr 2013 9:37pm
Yet another waste of money -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-20313607
http:/
Re: Steam Column Funding Ends - 16th Apr 2013 10:18pm
Steam Column Funding Ends.
And not a minute too soon, imho. Half a million pounds for something they didn't know would work? Oh, FFS
Re: Steam Column Funding Ends - 17th Apr 2013 12:29am
Did either of you notice the Date the article was posted ?
"13 November 2012 Last updated at 14:04"
"13 November 2012 Last updated at 14:04"
Re: Steam Column Funding Ends - 17th Apr 2013 2:33am
The most recent story on this is:
Column Story
The money spent on it didn't just vanish, someone had to be paid to do all the work to actually make it, the item itself does exist, so the money did find its way back into the (local) economy, despite the end result never actually materialising.
It's seems that today the big shout out always seems to be that everything is a waste of money, that the money should have been spent on something better. Life is not about existing or how much money you can make/save, because in the end it doesn't matter.
If we sold all the parks for building land imagine how much we'd make, and with no upkeep just think of the savings. In return the local council can employ more street cleaners to tidy up the rubbish that people are too lazy to put in a bin, and more police to sort out the problems caused by the young who now have nowhere to go. The funds might then be swallowed up by the NHS costs as people don't go to the park to exercise or socialise, cricket and football clubs have nowhere to go and obesity rates continue to rise.
Every problem/action has to be looked at long term, and how it effects everything else, we've all seen that knee jerk quick fix solutions don't work well in the long run.
Having the same amount of money running around in one area won't work, it needs to grow, and the only way is to bring in funds from other areas, but there has to be a reason for people to spend it.
When we had the huge "puppets" there were cries then of how much it cost, and then the figures showed how much the spectators spent, which everybody benefits from.
Okay so the column of water/steam was a failure, and it ran a bit late for the Olympics it was meant to celebrate as well, but this doesn't mean that we shouldn't do the same again. It was Lottery money spent on this, not local government money. Lottery money is VERY specific, it's not to prop up local health services or supplement food supplies, that's what we pay, and complain about, our taxes for. If the Lottery were to change it just becomes a voluntary tax and each week a lucky tax volunteer gets to change their life, sounds very Orwellian to me.
Look around, see the trees and enjoy the "waste of money" spent on "art", because if someone listens, and stops spending, one day when everyone finishes their day job that everyone goes to, and arrives back to their one bedroom per person home that everyone has, the only way you'll see them is on repeat, and that is all you'll have, because anything new is a waste of money.
Column Story
The money spent on it didn't just vanish, someone had to be paid to do all the work to actually make it, the item itself does exist, so the money did find its way back into the (local) economy, despite the end result never actually materialising.
It's seems that today the big shout out always seems to be that everything is a waste of money, that the money should have been spent on something better. Life is not about existing or how much money you can make/save, because in the end it doesn't matter.
If we sold all the parks for building land imagine how much we'd make, and with no upkeep just think of the savings. In return the local council can employ more street cleaners to tidy up the rubbish that people are too lazy to put in a bin, and more police to sort out the problems caused by the young who now have nowhere to go. The funds might then be swallowed up by the NHS costs as people don't go to the park to exercise or socialise, cricket and football clubs have nowhere to go and obesity rates continue to rise.
Every problem/action has to be looked at long term, and how it effects everything else, we've all seen that knee jerk quick fix solutions don't work well in the long run.
Having the same amount of money running around in one area won't work, it needs to grow, and the only way is to bring in funds from other areas, but there has to be a reason for people to spend it.
When we had the huge "puppets" there were cries then of how much it cost, and then the figures showed how much the spectators spent, which everybody benefits from.
Okay so the column of water/steam was a failure, and it ran a bit late for the Olympics it was meant to celebrate as well, but this doesn't mean that we shouldn't do the same again. It was Lottery money spent on this, not local government money. Lottery money is VERY specific, it's not to prop up local health services or supplement food supplies, that's what we pay, and complain about, our taxes for. If the Lottery were to change it just becomes a voluntary tax and each week a lucky tax volunteer gets to change their life, sounds very Orwellian to me.
Look around, see the trees and enjoy the "waste of money" spent on "art", because if someone listens, and stops spending, one day when everyone finishes their day job that everyone goes to, and arrives back to their one bedroom per person home that everyone has, the only way you'll see them is on repeat, and that is all you'll have, because anything new is a waste of money.
Re: Steam Column Funding Ends - 17th Apr 2013 1:00pm
amen to TheDr
Re: Steam Column Funding Ends - 17th Apr 2013 1:19pm
Well said (typed?)Doc,I always knew you were a philosopher at heart.
Re: Steam Column Funding Ends - 17th Apr 2013 3:57pm
Wow, I wish I was as eloquent, well said
Re: Steam Column Funding Ends - 18th Apr 2013 7:27pm
and in other news
CAMPAIGNERS have branded a 5% pay hike for Wirral health chiefs “utterly inappropriate”.
Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group, the new body set up to run the borough’s healthcare, rubber-stamped a pay rise for its leaders as one of its first acts before taking on the job.
The increase for heads of the governing body was waved through at a meeting held before the organisation formally took over from NHS Wirral at the beginning of this month.
Healthcare campaigners claimed the move undermined the group’s role of overseeing NHS spending in a climate of austerity.
The special allowance, which will see the group’s part-time chair Dr Phil Jennings and chief clinical officer Dr Abhi Mantgani each receive more than £112,000 a year in total from public funds, is aimed at reflecting what officers say are “complexity factors” connected to Wirral’s economy, its size and overall healthcare landscape.
It will also apply to full-time chief financial officer Mark Bakewell, who will earn £94,500, but not to lower-paid staff.
The increase was approved at a meeting of the governing body and recommended to members in a report prepared by Mr Bakewell under the direction of lead officer Dr Jennings, a partner at The Warrens medical centre in Thingwall. It is understood that none of the three took part in the vote on their individual packages.
The group is responsible for the care of 330,000 patients and is among more than 200 introduced across England to replace primary care trusts and put doctors in charge of commissioning local services.
National guidelines on pay levels for the two highest-paid roles have yet to be produced.
The report which recommended the rise said that while basic pay reflected the rates adopted by other groups, the extra allowance was essential for Wirral in particular.
It was also agreed that as the chair is an elected position, any departing chair should be awarded a 50% resettlement grant to help them deal with the change in their circumstances.
That grant will not apply to chief clinical officer Dr Mantgani, a partner at the Miriam medical centre in Laird Street, Birkenhead.
Campaigner Margaret Greenwood from Defend the NHS said: “It is utterly inappropriate at a time when public sector workers are facing a 1% pay increase limit, this seems completely wrong. This is money taken out of the NHS by people who are supposed to be managing it. It reflects what we believe is a move towards privatisation in the NHS. Until April 1 we had a state-managed NHS but that is no longer the case - it is run by people who are not accountable to the public.”
CAMPAIGNERS have branded a 5% pay hike for Wirral health chiefs “utterly inappropriate”.
Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group, the new body set up to run the borough’s healthcare, rubber-stamped a pay rise for its leaders as one of its first acts before taking on the job.
The increase for heads of the governing body was waved through at a meeting held before the organisation formally took over from NHS Wirral at the beginning of this month.
Healthcare campaigners claimed the move undermined the group’s role of overseeing NHS spending in a climate of austerity.
The special allowance, which will see the group’s part-time chair Dr Phil Jennings and chief clinical officer Dr Abhi Mantgani each receive more than £112,000 a year in total from public funds, is aimed at reflecting what officers say are “complexity factors” connected to Wirral’s economy, its size and overall healthcare landscape.
It will also apply to full-time chief financial officer Mark Bakewell, who will earn £94,500, but not to lower-paid staff.
The increase was approved at a meeting of the governing body and recommended to members in a report prepared by Mr Bakewell under the direction of lead officer Dr Jennings, a partner at The Warrens medical centre in Thingwall. It is understood that none of the three took part in the vote on their individual packages.
The group is responsible for the care of 330,000 patients and is among more than 200 introduced across England to replace primary care trusts and put doctors in charge of commissioning local services.
National guidelines on pay levels for the two highest-paid roles have yet to be produced.
The report which recommended the rise said that while basic pay reflected the rates adopted by other groups, the extra allowance was essential for Wirral in particular.
It was also agreed that as the chair is an elected position, any departing chair should be awarded a 50% resettlement grant to help them deal with the change in their circumstances.
That grant will not apply to chief clinical officer Dr Mantgani, a partner at the Miriam medical centre in Laird Street, Birkenhead.
Campaigner Margaret Greenwood from Defend the NHS said: “It is utterly inappropriate at a time when public sector workers are facing a 1% pay increase limit, this seems completely wrong. This is money taken out of the NHS by people who are supposed to be managing it. It reflects what we believe is a move towards privatisation in the NHS. Until April 1 we had a state-managed NHS but that is no longer the case - it is run by people who are not accountable to the public.”
Re: Steam Column Funding Ends - 19th Apr 2013 2:09pm
Well I'm hoping that the money spent on trees in Duke Street is money well spent. Hopefully they will suck all the water up from the blocked drains by the bus stop which backs up and floods the road, which the cars then drive through at speed, soaking people at the bus stop. I think just unblocking the drains might've been easier though.